


Beauty and The Beast Ganondorf/Reader

by TheProxie



Category: Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors
Genre: Beauty and the Beast AU, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 20:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12417354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheProxie/pseuds/TheProxie
Summary: Deep in the kokiri woods, past the shadows is a dark lonely castle, that is long since forgotten. Many stories have been told in your village of a beast that lives there. One day, as you are trying to find your runaway horse, you found said castle. And the stories are true.





	1. Stories and dreams

It was a bright day in Kakoriko village, the sun shining and the birds chirping. The wind blew a gentle breeze, making the leaves fall to the ground. Every child was having their fun while the parents worked with the help of their whining teenagers. You woke up with a smile on your face, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. You yawned and stretched, giving your back a satisfying crack! Pushing the blankets off of you, you looked out the window. Your smile grew. You loved this village and everything about it. Nothing could rui-

"HEY (Y/N)!"

You groaned and looked out the window, leaning out. Okay, this guy was an exception. This redheaded, yellowed mouthed, annoying little twat was the one thing you hated. Why did you have to live next to him? This man was Groose. He didn't come from this hardworking village. He came from a fancy place called Skyloft, which is like, a sacred place or something. It is so powerful, it is more protected than Hyrule. But a tragic thing happened to that place. A great evil destroyed it and many innocent people lost there homes. 

Including Groose, although he didn't seem so innocent.

"Hey, come out! I wanna talk!" Groose was just outside in front of your house, waving his arms in the air. You found out a while after you had met him that he had a major crush on you. He gets jealous at any person who talks to you. Despite your dislike for him, you smiled.

"Be right there!" You moved back into your room and pulled the curtains back. Getting dressed in your normal attire, you looked at yourself in the mirror. You brushed your (h/c) hair and moved it out of your face. Like everyone one else in this village, you were hylian. You ran downstairs, and bounced in the kitchen. Grabbing a muffin and your gloves you went outside. Before you could say anything though, you were suddenly hugged. In a desperate attempt to save your muffin, you bit it and let your arms be crushed to your sides.

"Oh (Y/N), I knew you liked me! Just by doing as I said and coming out, I knew you returned my feelings!" He chirped, his body squishing yours. You choked on your muffin in surprise, causing him to let you go.

"*cough* *cough* R-return your what? Groose, we are just friends!" You cringed upon using the word 'friend' to describe him. He grinned, blushing and rubbed the back of his neck. Before he could reply, you heard the sound of horse feet. You looked to your right, biting into your muffin. Seeing who it was, your eyes brightened up. Groose noticed this and frowned. The horse stopped in front of you, shaking its head. You swallowed and fed the rest to the horse.

"Hey Link! Thank goddess you showed up!" Groose gasped at you, looking offended, making Link laugh a bit. Groose glared at him. Link was a blonde hylian, also coming from Skyloft. He now lived in a nearby village, called Ordon. He became your friend after you helped him bring his stuff (or what was left of it) to his house. But because you were friends with him, Groose didn't like him.

"Is this why you don't love me? Because of your pointy eared boyfriend?!" Groose huffed, crossing his arms. Both you and Link blushed.

"N-no! I-We are just friends! I think of him as my brother! Honest! You're just not my type Groose, I'm sorry. There are plenty of woman out there dying to be with you." You smiled genuinely, making Groose calm a little. Link stared at you two with a confused look on his face.

"Besides I can't hang out today. I have to help Malon out on the ranch today. Link, would you mind taking me there?" You asked, pleading him to take you away. Link chuckled and nodded, holding out his hand to help you. Grooses eyes widened, stopping you.

"I-I'll help you!" He scooped you up off of the ground and set you on the horse. Your face grew red from embarrassment, but Groose took it the wrong way and winked. You frowned and wrapped your arms around Links waist.

"Bye Groose!" 

And with that, Link led you out of that village, out into the Fields.   
Finally getting to the ranch, you dismounted and bid Link farewell. Malon came running after you, grinning.

"Finally you're here! Come on, we have to brush and feed the horses!" She grabbed your hand and pulled you into the gates. Malon was like a sister to you. She grew up with you until you moved out. Her Father was given a baby by a dying mother. Despite medical attention, she died. So he raised you and Malon together. No one knew where your mother was from or how she got those wounds. The only thing they know is that she wanted you named (Y/N). After you hit the age of adulthood, you moved out, wanting to live on your own.

But you still needed a job, so you decided to stay and help at the ranch. You were even there when you gave Link his horse Epona. Malon had told you of her crush on Link, making sure you didn't steal him. You agreed, making sure you pushed your 'lovey' feelings, as she called it, out of your friendship. What you hated the most was how everyone expected you to be with him. Groose even told a rumor once of how you two have been dating.

The only person who believed you of your deep, deep hatred for the redhead was Link, the only nice boy you had ever met. You weren't even interested in finding a special someone like every other girl was. You didn't believe in true love, thinking it as some dumb fairy tale, not that you had anything against fairies. You and Malon worked with the horses all day, making sure that they were fine. You even got to name one, a young stallion who you named 'Isamu', which meant courage. You and Malon where greeted by an old couple who looked young for there age. 

They old woman introduced herself and her husband as "Mary and Roger". They were planning on getting a young horse for there granddaughters eighth birthday. Malon smiled and told them to follow her. Before you could go in and help her, you were called by your step-father. Groaning, you went in the old house. You would have loved to stay and live here with Malon, except that you hated your step-father. He saw you as a burden because of your unexpected turnout as a child. He treated Malon like a princess compared to you, which made you into the tough woman you are today. Upon opening the door, you were greeted with the smell of chickens. In the corner of the room was a   
giant haystack with a fair amount of chickens running around. Malons dad was behind the counter, playing with his mustache. You walked over to him and smiled sweetly.

"Yes father?"

He looked at you and huffed, getting out of his chair. He leaned in and motioned his finger at you, wanting you to come closer. Gulping, you did so, expecting some sort of yelling. Well, you weren't wrong.

"Happy birthday my dear!" He laughed in your ear, making your shriek in surprise. He guffawed as you took deep breaths in an attempt to calm yourself. He got up and hugged you, making you even more confused at his sudden kindness. He pushed back, his hands on your shoulders. He smiled at you, his eyes crinkling in joy. You just stared at him, suddenly becoming as mute as Link was.He turned and pulled out a box from who knows where and gave it to you.

"I know I have been hard on you over the years, but I truly care for you (Y/N), so here, happy birthday." He sat back down, staring at you. You stood there breathless, clutching the box with both hands.

"Well?"

You gulped, realizing that your eyes were filled with tears. It was hard to breath with the lump in your throat as you unwrapped the box. With shaky hands, you opened it, only to gasp and finally let those tears fall. In it was a ring, with a single gem on it. You took it out, putting the box on the counter. It was silver, with your birthstone on it. You looked at your step-father and the ring, a stream of tears coming out. He grinned and beckoned you to come close. You cried and hugged him, gasping for air as you laughed.

"T-thank you so much!" You cried, still holding him. Then the door opened, ruining the moment. You got up and took deep breathes as you rubbed the tears out of your eyes. You put the ring on and turned around, seeing the old couple and Malon. They began to talk to your step-father as Malon went to you.

"You okay?"

"Y-yeah, just um, look what papa gave me?"

"Omigosh! That is so pretty! You are so lucky! Why'd he give it to you?" You frowned at her, and crossed your arms.

"I'm joking, Happy birthday sis!" She giggled, hugging you. The old couple were told to stay there as your step-father went to get some things. They began to talk amongst themselves, smiling and giggling like a newly wed couple. You glanced at Malon, who shrugged. She said that she had to get something as well, leaving you alone with the old people. You shuddered and looked at them, only to realize that they were looking at you. The old woman giggled.

"You remind me of my granddaughter, Romani. She is a bright child, and she just loves fairy tales. Do you like fairy tales?" She asked with a sweet voice, as her husband held her close. Not wanting to ruin her moment, you said yes. She beamed.

"Oh joy, howabout I tell you one?" You sighed and sat down.

"Sure, let's hear it."

"This one isn't like any ordinary story my child. This one is said to be real as life itself." You rolled your eyes and feigned interest. "Long ago, before this land was what it was now, there lived a royal family. They all lived in a tall castle, called the Dragmire manor. One night, as the spoiled prince was storming the castle, a knock was heard. He ordered a servant to open the doors. Outside was a old woman, such as myself, in a dark cloak. She asked to be let in to stay the night, in exchange for a red rose. The prince scoffed at her offer, and walked away, telling the servants to close the door. Before they could, the woman cackled and threw off her cloak. She revealed herself to being the dark sorceress, Cia. She tried to get to the prince, but the servants were in her way, trying to protect the young boy. Cia ran in, turning everyone into random objects, allowing herself to get to the boy. But he had already gotten to his parents, who tried to make the woman leave. She turned them into simple lifeless trinkets. Now the boy was alone, but was angry. He cried and tried to get her to leave, crying like you were just before!" You blushed and told her to go on, already into the story. "The woman told him that looks weren't everything and cursed him into a hideous beast. She said that if he doesn't find true love, he and his servants will forever stay like this. She laughed and left, leaving his life in ruins. That is why there is a old and abandoned castle pass through the woods. People say that if you go in, the beast will take you and kill you, thinking that you are the witch. But that's just a story!" The couple laughed.

"What?!" They looked at you, startled.

"He was cursed because he didn't let in some creepy old woman? I'm pretty sure he was raised by parents who warned about stranger danger like any other kid! And the woman killed his parents and called him the bad guy?! What kind of story is that!" You yelled, feeling sorry for the boy. The old woman smiled nervously. 

"My dear, it is just a story."

"Yeah, a horrible one! And he has to grow up, depressed and angry, never being able to show himself to anyone because of his curse!" You got up, realizing that it was late. 

"I have to go, it was nice meeting you. Goodbye!" You turned and left, grumbling. You felt so sorry for the fictional boy. You wanted to pound that witch so hard, that your hands were shaking in fury. As you walked by the stables, you heard neighing. You walked over, only to see Isamu whining and walking up to you. You smiled.

"Hey boy, how are ya?"

He whinnied, rubbing his head up to your hand. You grinned.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

You then headed home. On the way there, you saw someone on a horse coming towards you. 

"Yeah Link!" You ran over to the person, your grin fading as you got closer. Groose grinned down at you. He held out his hand, still smiling like a dumbass. You rolled your eyes and got on the horse.

Upon entering your village, you thanked Groose and went inside your house. Changing into your night clothes, you laid down on your bed and fell asleep.   
In your dream, you were surrounded by darkness. The floor rippled like water as you walked, trying to find out where you were. Then you heard crying. You ran to the sound, it becoming closer. The crying stopped, and turned into to sniffling as you got to the child. He was crouched on the floor, holding something. You looked at him, feeling as sad as was. He looked at you, tears staining his face. He held two broken, old trinkets in each hand. You gasped, it was the prince! He wiped his tears away.

"P-please, help me!" He cried. He repeated those words as he began to change. He screamed in agony until it became a beastly roar as he turned into a boar-like creature. It roared and looked down at you, blowing air out of its nostrils. It stared at you, unblinking. You looked back, shaking in fear. It leaned down, until its stomach touched the floor. It whimpered. Feeling sympathy, you patted its head, his orange fur surprisingly soft. You smiled as it turned its head to you. Sitting down next to it, you stayed, petting him. He seemed to calm down and closed its eyes. You yawned and laid down on him, burying yourself in his fur and fell asleep.


	2. Into the woods

You woke up early in the morning, the sky still a dark blue. It was cold, making you shiver as you wrapped yourself in your blanket. You rubbed your eyes, trying to get awake. You grabbed for your glass of water, the cool drink waking you up. You got out of bed, blanket still on and went downstairs. You began to ground your coffee beans, still feeling drowsy. Boiling some water, you got your filter ready, staring outside in the distance as you waited.

'That was a strange dream.' you thought as you remembered. You could still feel the soft fur of the sleeping beast beneath you. You smiled and woke up once you heard a knock on your door. Hoping to the goddesses that it wasn't Groose, you slowly opened it, only to find Link standing there, smiling. You opened your door all way, surprised.

"Link? What are you doing here? You usually sleep in." The tips of his ears turned red as he blushed and walked in.  
"W-well, I wasn't at the ranch to pick you up and heard that Groose went to get you."

You laughed. "And what, he was gonna kidnap me and keep me in his house forever?" He smiled sheepishly and sat at your table. The water was done boiling, so you poured it in  
the coffee filter, waiting for your drink to finish. You looked at Link.

"Want any?"

He shook his head, his blonde locks somehow staying in place. 'I swear to god, he has magic hair'.  
You sat down with him.

KNOCK KNOCK

"(Y/N)! (Y/N)! I saw someone at your door! Are you alright?" Groose whined, destroying your morning. You glared at Link, who just grinned and looked away. Groaning you got up and went to the door. Groose stood there with his two buddies behind him, standing around like idiots. Groose leaned in the doorway and smiled down at you.

"I knew that you would come out for me!" He said, smoothing his hair, while leaning in. You sighed.

"I'm sorry Groose, I can't talk right now."

He frowned.  
"Why not?"

You smiled devilishly and let your blanket slip off your shoulders, your left hand holding the blanket in place. Your straps of your shirt, which he assumed was something else, showed; making his face turn red.

"My lover is in here, making me some coffee. We had a wild night and I just need some rest. So if you don't mind Groosey, ta-ta~" And with that, you shut the door on his shocked face. You turned and looked at Link, whose face was a brilliant red. You laughed and pulled your blanket up. Grabbing a cup, you poured yourself some coffee. You looked at Link.

"When I'm done, I need you to take me to the Ranch again 'kay?" You sipped on your drink and went up stairs. 

Link sat still in his chair, still shocked of using him as an excuse to get away from Groose like that. He couldn't even imagine you two as lovers. His blushed deepened. Or could he?

You went downstairs, dressed for the day. Grabbing another muffin, you and Link left to go. He called Epona over, who trotted over and nudged him affectionately. Link smiled and pet her head as you mounted the horse.

"Oi, Link! Let's go! I wanna leave before Groose gets back!" You whined, holding onto the reins. Link nodded and hopped on behind you, letting you ride this time. His arms wrapped around your waist, making you shudder. You whipped the reins, causing Epona to run. You grinned as you felt the wind blow over your face. Now this really woke you up. 

By the time you got to Lon Lon Ranch, Link was leaning on your back, making you blush deeply.  
"Oi, Link, get off, I gotta get off!" He grunted and hopped off, opening his arms, waiting for you to jump. Rolling your eyes at his 'gentlemanly' acts, you jumped into his open arms. Grabbing you by the waist, he twirled you around before setting you down. You both laughed as he got back on his horse. You and Link stared at each other for a moment. 

You leaned in, making his eyes widen. Curious of what you were going to do, he leaned in. You grinned and slapped Epona's flank, causing her to jump in shock and run. You laughed like a maniac as you waved goodbye. Turning around, you saw an angry Malon. Oh god, not this again. She always got jealous like this, at any moment you were with him. At moments like these, she reminded you of a female version of Groose. You shivered at the thought. Walking up to her, you waved your hand in a mock salute.

"Hey sis. Why you so grumpy?"

She glared.

"I saw that."

"Saw what."

"What you and him did."

"Get off the horse? Wow, romantic right?"

She scrunched her face and turned around to leave. You put your hands on your hips, and looked at her with a 'really?' look on your face.

"I know that you have feelings for him (Y/N), I'm not dumb." Her voice seemed strained, forcing herself to speak.

"Oh my goddess. No way in the sacred realms would I ever go out with Link. Sure he's pretty hot but I can't like him that way. It's weird."

She looked at you, confused.

"Weird? Why would it be weird?"

You waved your hands in the air like a maniac. "I don't know! It just feels that way! We are just friends! Besides, I'm pretty sure he likes the girl in his village, um, Ilia." Both your eyes widened, hers from shock and yours from just saying that.

"A-ah, I didn't mean to say that! And I'm not even sure if he does! She just steals his horse and stuff! Malon!" 

It was too late, she hopped on a grey stallion and left. Shit, she left you with the chores.

"GODDAMNIT!"

 

A couple hours later in the day, you were tired and hungry, already it was noon. You left the ranch, leaving the horses to do whatever horses do and went to go inside. Before you could, Ingo called you over to do Malons chore. Milking the cows. You hated those cows. Glaring at a smug Ingo, you went over to the large beasts. The cow looked at you, mooing and then going back to eating. You began to milk them, one by one, getting ready to yell at Malon for throwing a hissy fit about a blonde-ass pretty boy. As you were finishing, you were starving. You went inside finally, seeing Ingo and Talon arguing like always. You went over to the array of cuccos and grabbed one by the neck. Both Ingo and your step-father stopped and stared at you.

"(Y-Y/N), what are your doing?"

You looked lazily at the squirming chicken and looked back at them.

"I'm eating." With that, you left outside. 

"(Y/N)!!!!" Both men yelled and ran outside after you, seeing you set the cucco on a stump, raising an ax in the air. 

"(Y/N), put that ax down right now." Talon ordered, his hand shaking slightly. Any other day you would have listened, but you were starving.  
With the ax still above you, you grunted and went to bring it down. Just then you heard a females voice. 

"STOP!" You all turned around, to see a breathless Malon run after you with a basket of food in her arms. Your eyes widened, dropping the ax. The cucco jumped and flew away, making Talon and Ingo exhale in unison. You charged after a tired Malon and took the basket from her hands and began to eat the bread. She laughed and sat down, trying to catch her breath. You sat down with her, still eating. Tears went down your face as you ate, thanking whatever goddess you could think of. As you finished the last piece, you looked at Malon, who was staring at you.

"Why'd you leave?" You asked, whipping the crumbs away.

"Well, at first I was just mad-"

"Well duh."

"And so I left to Ordon village."

"You went to Link!" Finally, she talked to him.

"No." You gawked at her, making her bite her lip.

"What did you do?"

"I went to Ilia-"

"Nope." You got up."I am not gonna hear your sudden drama bomb that you and her had over Link."

"B-but (Y/N)" she got up, trying to stop you.

"No, you left me here to do all the work because you were mad over some random girl who happened to like the same guy who turns out to be my best friend. God, you're all crazy. You get to finish up, I'm going to Isamu and I'm going to ride off."

Before she could reply, you stormed off, going to your horse. Isamu was in his stable and jumped with joy upon seeing your face. You smiled and fed him a carrot as you let him out. You calmed down as you brushed his mane. It was soft, like the fur of that beast. You stopped. Why did that come back in your mind. Shaking your head, you mounted your horse and left. You let Isamu choose where to go, just enjoying the rush of the ride. You ended up in the lost woods, which you should of stopped your horse from doing. He walked cautiously, sniffing the new surroundings. You grew worried that you wouldn't be able to make it back. After what seemed like a couple hours, you heard some voices.

"Aw man, now I'm going crazy." 

Yet the voices seemed familiar. They got louder as you got closer. You found the people, which turned out to be the old couple from yesterday. You got off and walked your horse over to them. Stopping, you went to the old woman. 

"Hey Mary, Roger, what seems to be the problem?" You asked with a soft voice.

She looked at you with a sad expression.

"Oh dear, my husband has his leg stuck and I can't get it out. I couldn't leave him because I knew I would get lost! Can you help us?"  
Okay, you regretted ever coming to there aid. You nodded, making Mary squeal in delight. You went to Roger, whose leg was stuck in between two trees. Wow, this was simple.

"Okay Mary, I need you to hold onto Roger for me okay?" She nodded and did as she was told. Roger had a look of pain on his face.  
"Bare with me." He nodded, closing his eyes.

You grabbed his foot and pushed up. His leg came loose, allowing him to pull out. They thanked you and left, leaving you alone once more.

Your jaw dropped. "Gee thanks!" You huffed and looked at your ring. It shined in the light. The trees swayed softly in the breeze, the light dancing on the ground with the shadows. You looked over at Isamu who neighed softly.

"Come on big guy, let's go." You mounted back on him and made him move. After a couple of minutes, you felt like you were being followed. Paranoia filled you as you looked in  
the shadows.

"Okay Isamu, you need to go a bit quicker." You whispered, watching the shadows move. Isamu noticed this and went into a sprint, fear coursing through the both of you. This startled the creatures, causing them to charge after you, allowing you to see them.

"FUCK!" You wailed whipping the reins as you held onto them for dear life. The woods went by you in a blur. You looked back at you to see the shadow beasts crawling after you, some of them screeching which caused more of them to appear. You eyes widened as you watched them get closer. Isamu seemed like he knew where he was going as he ran, non stop.  
The woods became darker and more cold, causing you to squint to see the shadow creatures. You looked forward and saw a huge steel gate that led to a even bigger castle. It looked worn down and old, but it was your only chance of survival. Isamu charged through the gates, bursting them open. The beasts stopped instantly behind the gates. They began to screech, making more and more come. You whimpered in fear as Isamu walked backwards, slowly. The shadow beasts seemed to walk in cautiously, as if something where to get them. There was to many to count, and at that moment, you knew you were going to die. Isamu stopped moving, bumping into something behind him. Holding your breath, you slowly looked behind you. Shocked, you fell of Isamu, who took this as a chance and sprinted off, jumping over the gates and left.

"ISAMU!" You cried, watching the beasts charge after him. Some still stayed, waiting for there chance to get you. The Giant beast behind you growled, air puffing out of its nose. You curled up on the ground, crying, waiting for you to just die. The shadow beasts moved in closer, staring at the giant beast behind you. Said beast roared, its call echoing through the woods, causing those shadow creatures to jump and run off behind them. You looked up, still shivering in fear. You could still feel the beasts warmth above you. You crawled out from under it, and stood up. You looked at the panting beast. After you stared at it a bit, you realized something.

It was the Beast from your story. 

From your dream!


	3. The man of your dreams

The night sky was covered with clouds, the moon barely shining through. Cold wind blew through the dead trees, old leaves blowing across the ground. You stared at the beast, breathing hard. It stared back at you, its yellow eyes boring into you. You swallowed, and moved forward. He growled. You walked closer, thinking that maybe it was just like the one in your dream. Its eyes widened at your slow movements. Suddenly, it pushed you back with its hand and turned around to leave.

"Wait!" You gasped, getting up off the floor. Ignoring your call, he went inside the dark castle. Alone, you looked around, trying to see if anything else was there. You looked at the castle. You had no where else to go and if you stayed out here, you were gonna die. You swallowed again and ran to the front doors of the old building. They were tall, solid and didn't look like they would budge. You could see your own breath as you exhaled. Taking a deep breath, you pushed the door open. You opened your eyes and looked inside. It was still dark, the windows allowing in whatever light was available. You walked in and closed the door behind you.

 

He looked at the girl from across the hall, barely seeing her face. Ugh, why does his master all ways have to be so hostile. He looked behind him and whispered to the others.

 

You stood there in front of the doors, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, you saw a ball of fire. Wait, what? You squinted your eyes and realized that it was a candle. The candle hopped over to you. Wait, hopped? Gasping, you walked backwards until your back hit the door. The candle stopped in front of you and looked up. He seemed to be wearing some sort of helmet. Upon closer inspection, the helmet looked like a head of a dragon. He grunted and raised his arms, which were lit. He stared at you, only for you to stare back. He grunted in annoyance.

"Wow, you really are a dumb girl. Grab me, so you can see where you are going." His voice was gruff and commanding. Frowning, you grabbed his silver stem and held him above you. Now you could easily see. You heard more voices, eagerly chatting away. Curious, you followed the voices. You ended up in a large living room, with a lit fireplace, its warmth greeting you. You smiled and went over to it, sitting down on the rugged floor. You set the candle down next to you, scooting closer to the fire. You looked down at him, seeing as he was blowing out his fire.

"Um, thank you." 

He looked up at you and bowed. "You're welcome. My name is Volga. I used to be something greater than a fire holder. It was nice meeting someone who isn't like us for a change." He left, going back into the darkness of the house. You sighed and held yourself, trying to warm up. You looked around, wishing that you had Volga to show you around. 

You heard little clicking noises behind you, making you turn to look. Bouncing in your view was a little clock like trinket, its design very unique. It was black and had blue lines designing it. On its face was a small mask that reminded you of a chameleon. Staring at it quizzically, you waited for it to say something. It bowed and took off its mask.   
"I am Zant, and you will call me as such. Do you need anything, a blanket, pillow, anything?" You blanket at him, still trying to get used to the whole ' objects that can talk'.

"Uhm, a blanket would be nice."

He nodded and left, leaving you alone once more. A while later, he returned with a dark blanket, being carried by a walking stool. You thanked him and took it, wrapping yourself. He bowed again and looked at you.  
"I too, used to be someone of great importance. Maybe you can help us." He bounced off, leaving you with a strange impression of him.

You stared into the fire, yawning. The warmth started to nod you off to sleep, until you were awoken by a voice.  
"Oh child, do not sleep yet, for you have not met the greatest person out of all of them!" The voice was male but gave you the impression that it was very flamboyant. As you searched for the source of the voice, a sword came into view. You stared at it, scrunching your face.

"Oh my, please don't do that face! It adds unneeded wrinkles to that pretty face of yours. Don't worry, I'm not just a sword, I'm a spirit. Only I can show my spirit form, for I was not the same as the rest. I am Lord Ghirahim, but you can just call me Ghirahim, I'm not fussy." A shadow of a figure appeared behind the sword, smiling devilishly at you. He was tall and dark with sharp, white lines crossing over his body. He had bright white hair and a single white diamond on his forehead and a bigger one on his chest. Needless to say, he was quite toned, although he was a spirit. He floated over to you, the sword staying by his side. Crouching down to your level, he held out a hand, grinning. 

"You don't want to sleep down here, do you?" 

You shook your head, face heating up at the close proximity. His grin widened as you grabbed his hand. He pulled you up easily like you weighed nothing. His sword was in his right hand as he held yours in his left. As you walked with him, the fireplace suddenly unlit and everything went dark. You gasped and held Ghirahims whole arm, making you blush. He chuckled and with a flick of his wrist, a ball of fire appeared and flew across the hall, lighting up the torches that hung. He looked down at you and leaned to your ear.

"Better?" His warm breath went down your neck as he laughed.  
He led you to a stone stairway that went up, the air becoming cold. the torches behind you unlit one by one.

"Why do the lights go out?"  
Ghirahim sighed.

"You saw the beast, yes?" He spoke as you walked upstairs.

"Y-yes."

"That is our master. He doesn't want any guests here."

"Why?"

Ghirahim was silent, pointing to a door.

"This is your room for the night. In the morning, I will tell my master of your presence. If you need me, just unsheathe my sword, alright darling?" He smiled, though it seemed forced. He closed the door, a sword in your hands. You stared at it and huffed. You sat down on the old bed in your room, the window allowing in the moonlight. You set the sword by your bed and laid down, wrapping your blanket around you and closing your eyes.

You stood in a dark room again, this time you saw a ball of light in front of you. You touched it gently, making it turn into a fiery dragon, a helmet on its head. It flew around, its light spreading everywhere. Then in a flash, he turned into a man in red armor and the same dragon helmet. You stared at him, knowing him. Then he bowed, and walked away.

"H-hey wait!" You ran after him until you realized that he was gone.

"Goddamnit." You breathed and crossed your arms. Turning around, you saw the beast from the other dream. He was pacing around, growling. You smiled and walked up to him.

"Hello!" You chirped, causing him to look at you in surprise. He calmed down, realizing who you were. He laid down again and stared at you with lazy eyes. You grinned and sat down next to him, petting his soft fur again. You hummed and stared at the beast, making him fall asleep. His breathing became calm, his eyes closed. You yawned and laid down on him again.

You were awoken by yells and growling. You bounced out of bed, the arguing becoming louder as it ascended the stairs. Scared, you grabbed the sword and held it to yourself. Your heart felt like it was going to beat out of your chest as the voices stopped right outside your door. 

"Master, if you just listened-" That was Ghirahim, you knew.

"Silence! You will tell not me what to do. You will not let people into my castle!" The voice was gruff and deep, sending chills down your spine. Suddenly, the door slammed open, causing you to scream and hold onto the handle of sword, pointing it at the door. The beast came in, easily towering over you. It stared down at you, rage seething from its body. 

He looked at you and stopped. His eyes widened as his breathing calmed. You both stared at each other, knowing. Ghirahim stood in the doorway, looking between you two before grinning smugly.The beast stopped breathing for a moment, taking you in. You looked exactly like the woman from his dreams, and he from yours. You looked down and swallowed before looking at him. You put the sword on the bed and stood there.

"I-i can explain-"

He held his hand up, stopping you. He turned and left, taking Ghirahim with him. You heard the two descend down the stairs, letting you finally take in much needed air. You sat down on the bed and laid your head in your hands. 

This is going to be a strange day.


	4. Dining with the beast

You sat on the bed, depressing underneath you. You could see the dust in the rays of light. This was a strange morning. The beast in your dreams was real, and you saw him! You looked over to the window in your room. It was tall and pointed up. You got up, holding the sword and walked over, opening the window. It led to a small balcony,   
overlooking the garden. It wasn't a garden per say, it was overgrown and unkempt. Vines grew up the walls and weeds were spread everywhere on the ground. The garden had a dense fog surrounding it. You sighed and leaned on the railing, the cold air running up your body. You yawned, stretching your back. The garden was huge, the old crumbling stone walls keeping it close. You noticed birds had many nests in the crooks of the crumbling walls. You smiled. Standing up straight, you looked up at the gray sky, the sun clouded from your sight. You looked around you, noticing little balcony's like yours, all the windows closed. Except one. This one had a bigger balcony and was the cleanest and most used looking then any of the others. You looked at the sword.

Unsheathing the slim weapon, a whiff of light smoke came around you, as a body began to form.

"Hello my child!" Ghirahim stretched out and bowed to you, grinning. You put the sword back in, still holding it close.

"Why did the be- um your master leave so suddenly?" You asked, looking down. Ghirahim chuckled and sat on the railing, crossing his legs.

"My child, did you ever have any strange dreams?"

He grinned at you, knowing. Your face flushed and you nodded.

"Can you explain what they were?" You sat down on the concrete floor, ignoring the cold air. You began to tell him of your dreams which included the small child who then turned into the beast. How you calmed the creature down until you both fell asleep. Ghirahim smiled and was quiet the whole time, listening.

You finished and looked over at him, realizing that the beast was just a little kid. Ghirahim hummed and jumped off the railing.

"My child, you are the one."

"The one?"

"Yes, the one to break the spell!" His grin became crazed as walked closer to you, backing you against the wall.

"What?! H-how?" This was all to much. You were the one? What? 

"Using my great and powerful skills, I was able to project my master into peoples dreams. Who ever was able to calm the beast and not run in fear would be the person we have been looking for." You pursed your lips and thought for a moment.

"H-how long has this been going on?"

Ghirahim sighed and crossed his arms, looking at his nails.

"Around 20 years or so."

"So the boy isn't a little boy any more?" 

"Hm, no, of course not." 

You breathed a sigh of relief but then flushed in embarrassment.

"S-so I have been cuddling a 30 year old man?!"

Ghirahim cackled and flung his head back in amusement. You shuddered and crossed your arms, blowing a piece of hair from your face.  
Ghirahim calmed and looked at you, his white eyes shining.

"My child, please understand, we need you to try. To help break the spell."

"But how?! How am I supposed to do that?!" You flung your arms up and leaned across the rail. You sighed and smoothed your hair back, the cool air caressing you. Ghirahim huffed behind you, mumbling something about being a drama queen. Looking down at the dead yard, you began to think.

"Hey, is this going to be a cliche thing like true loves kiss?" Ghirahim went silent, making you look at him. Your eyes widened.

"NO! No, not like that. Just um, you know, true love." He forced a smile, not easing you at all. You groaned and put your hands on your face.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?!" You walked in circle, trying to calm down. Yet you couldn't, why did this have to happen to you?! You didn't deserve this! No one should be held against their will to 'love' someone! That's crazy! You began to shake with anger, breathing deeply. Ghirahim stood awkwardly to the side, holding his breath. 

Unbeknownst to you, he had been watching the dreams. You only stayed with the beast because it was a little child. Maybe he should of let you believe that. You both stopped as you heard something down below. Running over, you both leaned down, trying to see what it was. 

You both gasped and held your breath as the beast came out onto the yard. You looked over at Ghirahim who was smiling like a madman. 

"What?" You hissed, voice quiet. Ghirahim pulled you back, holding your shoulders.

"You should sing! Act like you don't know he is there and sing!" You frowned at him, smacking his hands away.

"No."

 

Ghirahim sighed and put his hands on his hips. You turned to leave when Ghirahim spoke.

"His mother used to sing to him before she was killed." 

You stopped, feeling instant sympathy. You looked at Ghirahim, who had the face of a kicked puppy.

"Fine. Fine, what am I supposed to sing?" Ghirahim floated up and around you thinking.

"Just um, sing a random tune or something. He'll like it." You rolled your eyes and went over the rail again, looking down.

The beast was sitting on a stone slab, staring off into the woods.

Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and began to sing a small tune. You remembered the lullaby that Link would play on his Ocarina. He said he learned it from the princess Zelda. You had your hands clasped together on your chest, letting the song flow from your lips. Ghirahim came from behind, whispering in your ear.

"It's working! His ears perked up like a cute little animal! He's watching you now." Ghirahim left you, letting you alone again. You quickly grew tired from it, instantly stopping. You opened your eyes and looked down. Both you and beast connected, staring at each other. You became mesmerized in his stare, his yellow eyes entrancing. Your heart beat wildly in your chest, your palms sweating.

Suddenly he broke eye contact and went back inside, the door slamming make you jump. You looked behind you to see Ghirahim holding to thumbs up.

"I better go to him and talk. Maybe you can dine with him tonight." Your stomach growled as he said that, making you blush.

"My, my, you might be the beast here my darling." Ghirahim chuckled and floated away, waving goodbye before leaving your room. You sighed and took the sword again, laying it on your bedside. How were you supposed to just 'love' someone. You put your head in your hands and thought. Well, everyone did want you to finally find a lover and maybe this way Groose would leave you alone. You stopped, realizing that you were being selfish. But then again, it would break his curse, you smiled to yourself. No wait, that isn't true love though. You groaned and laid back on your bed, frowning.

"Why is love so goddamn hard!" You yelled. Suddenly you grew sad. 

When were you going home? 

Will you ever go home? 

Your eyes began to water. You were starting to wish to hear Grooses annoying pick-up lines, and your sisters calls after Link. A tear went down your cheek. Soon, you were silently crying. You just wanted your family back. Then it hit you. So did he, he wants his family back. He's wanted them for 20 years. But no matter what, his parents will never come back. 

Suddenly your door opened. You shot up, rubbing your eyes. Volga, the candle, hopped in, holding the door open. You blinked at him.

"Miss, our master would like to see you downstairs for some breakfast." You got up, ready to follow when Volga stopped you.

"What?" You asked, rubbing your eyes.

 

"You're going downstairs to dine with our master, wearing that?" His voice was laced with disgust. You glared at him.

"Well excuse me princess! I'm sorry I didn't pack for the night!"

Volga scoffed and hopped in, mumbling to himself. He stopped at a old dusty wardrobe. He looked at you and then at it.

"Dresses are in there."

Then he hopped back to the door.

"You will come down stairs right after you are dressed. He left, the door closing. You walked over to the wardrobe and opened it, blowing the dust away. You saw some dresses hung, but they looked old. There is no way in the Sacred Realms were you going to where any of that. You slammed the wardrobe shut, getting frustrated. Then you heard a voice. 

You turned around, looking at the owner of the voice.

"Well excuse You! I am Lady Maud! How dare you ignore my beautiful dresses!" She screeched, offended.

"Well I'm sorry, but those things are dirty and old. If you have something new, I would gladly wear it." She seems to lighten up at that, her doors opening.

"Well why didn't you say so?"

Dresses began to shoot out, falling on you. You screamed, falling down.

Getting up, you pulled off a bonnet and glared at her. She scoffed at you and closed her doors.

"Well, get dressed."

You ended up wearing a dark dress. It went from pitch black at the bottom and rose into a deep red at the top. It was sleeveless, thank god. You were going to leave, until Maud whistled at you.

"Hey! I am not some do-"

"You need shoes to go with that!" She flung a black pair of heels at you. You held them to your face and scrunched your nose.

"I don't want to risk my ankles. I'm not wearing those."

She huffed and threw black flats at you. You shrugged, at least you could run. Slipping them on, you thanked her and left the room. Going down stairs and through a hallways and stairways, you finally reached the dining hall. You stopped at the doors, hearing voices.

"What is taking her so long?" You heard a gruff voice. You shivered, knowing who it was. Then you heard ghirahims voice.

"Maybe she got lost?" You frowned. Yeah, like you were supposed to memorize this damn castle at first glance. Then you thought. Better make good first impressions. He's a beast, so maybe you didn't have to act like a proper lady. Shrugging you decided to take a chance. Before any of them could talk, you flung the doors open, startling everyone.

"The fun has arrived!" you sung, flinging your arms up. Every living object that was there fled, and Ghirahim groaned, smacking his head in his hands. The beast gawked at you, surprised by your sudden burst of confidence. Well, better not stop now. You smiled widely and bowed before walking over to the table. It was fairly small, but big enough for a group of people. You sat opposite from the beast, laying your head on the knuckles of your fist. Truth be told, you were as nervous as hell, but you didn't want to seem vulnerable.

"So, your place is very nice." You said, twirling your fork. The beast cleared his throat. You noticed that he was wearing some sort of black suit. You smiled.

"Thank you, I um." He stopped, looking over at Ghirahim, who froze. He went over to him, whispering. Good to know that you weren't the only nervous person.

"Your singing was very beautiful." You stopped twirling your fork and sat up, blushing. Ghirahim grinned and got up. He left, saying something about getting the food. You both sat there, quiet. You had no idea what to say. Neither did he. Coughing in your hand, you spoke.

"You have a very nice suit. It uh, looks nice on you." You smiled. He huffed and smoothed his orange mane back. "It really brings out your eyes." You flushed, feeling very awkward. He coughed in his hand, his turn to feel embarrassed.

"Thank you, um again. Your dress is quiet beautiful as well, um-"

"(Y/N)"

"Right, (Y/N)." 

You both stared at your plates. The tension in the air was thick, making you sweat. Why was talking so hard? You were choking on your words. With any other person you could speak your mind without caring about what they thought. Know with him, you anxious, scared, but at the same time wanting to know more and stay. You grabbed you glass, seeing that it was filled with wine. You quirked an eyebrow. Wine in the morning? Your eyes flickered to the beast, who was staring you. Once he realized that he was staring, his mane seemed to fluff up as he looked away. You giggled, hiding your smile behind your hand.

Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.


	5. Realization

Dinner was strange. At first, the beast or, Ganon as he requested you to call him, was flustered and shy. You found it cute but a little bit annoying, because it made it all the more awkward. You had no idea what to say or do, and the fact that he didn't either did not make it any easier. You ate quietly for the first half, exchanging a few glances and words, but other than that, there was no real conversation. Ghirahim on the other hand would not stop hovering around, grinning and then frowning. He looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped and cringed every so often. You looked down at your empty plate, feeling full, and rested your head on your hand.

"Hey! Manners miss!" Ghirahim whined, smacking your elbow off the table frantically. You squeaked, the loss of your arm made you smack your chin on the table, and everything went silent. 

Ghirahim froze, floating next to you, his dark face going pale. You groaned, rubbing your chin, and glared at him. Ganon stared between you two- he had no idea what to do. Ghirahim breathed heavily and wrung his hands together, trying to pull off a apologetic face. 

"I-I am so sorry! I-I didn't mean to!" He stopped, blinking slowly. Then he glared at you.

"What?"

"Why am I apologizing to you! You are the one without manners! I would not have done that in a attempt to save this dinner-"

"Save?! Save what?! Nothing has been happening here! It is so damn boring!" You shouted, all the bottled up anger finally being set free, thanks to the wine you drank. How dare he accuse you of this? You didn't do anything wrong. He is the one who smacked you and he wants you to apologize? You stood up, getting in his face.

"I just wanted to go home! Not stay here in this cruddy castle! Why would I want to stay here!" You yelled at him, forgetting that Ganon was there. Ghirahim was standing now, his face contorting into something between nervous and angry. If you knew who he was before this curse, you surely would not be yelling at him.

"No one said you had to stay here, you wench!" 

You stopped. You unclenched your fists and breathed through your nostrils.

"Ghirahim, I want to go home."

Suddenly, Ganon shot up and growled. You and Ghirahim stopped and stared. All emotions and rational thought left you except for fear. His mood twisted instantly. What was he mad about? All you knew was that you did not want to make him anymore angry. He crawled to the both of you, his huge form creating a large shadow which made him even more terrifying. Your legs shook and you tried to walk back, but you couldn't move. Ghirahim yelped and left in a flash.

Ganon stood in front of you, shaking in anger.

"How DARE you insult me!" He roared, his voice ringing in your ears. Your brows furrowed in confusion.

"B-but, what, h-how..." You could not form a sentence, to confused and scared. What had you done? 

"You ignorant child. I save you, I let you sleep here, and eat here! Yet you have the audacity to insult my home?!" He growled, his voice gruff. You swallowed and realized how much of a ungrateful brat you had sounded like. You did not mean to say those things, you were just angry and scared and wanted to go home. You had no intention of staying, but Ghirahim wanted you to 'break the curse' - whatever that means - which meant you had to stay. Why? Why you? Because of some dumb dream?!

"I had no intention of-of- I'm sorry!" your voice was higher than normal, and you could feel tears welling up in your eyes. You hated this! you just want to go home. You just want to see your family again! Then it hit you. He wasn't mad because you insulted his home, it was because you were acting like him. Wanting everything back to normal. Except you could go home, right now. You could see your family again if you wanted to. He could not, he was stuck here. He has been alone for so long, and you come in, his only ray of hope. You swallowed the lump in your throat, suddenly feeling sorry.

Ganon huffed angrily at you, yet he stopped once he noticed that you were on the verge of crying. Why were you crying? You were just angry a minute ago.

"I-" He stopped, looking to the side. You hugged yourself, looking at the floor. 

"I'm really sorry." you voice was still quiet, but compared to the silent room, you were still loud. Ganon sat down, and sighed.

"I know." He looked at you and pursed his lips. "Y-you can leave, if you want."

You gasped and looked at him. Your eyes shined with hope. Yes! I can leave! I can go back ho- You stopped, the smile on your face fading. You shuffled your feat, suddenly feeling nervous.

"I, um, I think I should stay..." You looked at a shocked Ganon, suddenly feeling your face getting hot. "B-because of, um, my horse has left and I have no way of getting home! So, um, until, I ya know..." You mumbled, smiling a little. Ganon coughed in his hand(paw?) and smirked.

"Yes, of course. Zant!" You both looked over to the huge doors, in which Zant hopped in. He bowed slightly and looked at his master.

"Lead her back to her room-"

"I don't mean to interrupt sir, but maybe I can show her around? So she gets used to this place?" A nervous yet excited Ghirahim showed up, grinning. He was so glad that you decided to stay! Finally, this can all be over. Ganon glared at him.

"Ghira-"

"Actually, I agree with him. If you don't mind, I mean." You smiled at him, moving a bit closer. He didn't seem so scary anymore. Well, when he wasn't angry. Ganon became flustered and cleared his throat.

"Fine. Ghirahim, show her around. DON'T interrupt me again." He paused for a second, "Don't let her go to the west wing." With that, he trudged off into another room. You looked over at Ghirahim and forced a thankful smile.

Ghirahim grinned like a mad man and danced in a circle, mumbling something. You laughed as he stopped and bounced over to you and grabbed your shoulders.

"I knew you would do it! Are you going to help?" His eyes dilated as he stared at you, his hair sticking to his face. You blinked and shrugged.

"I'll try, but I don't think that I'm the one." You bit your lip as he rolled his eyes.

"Have I ever been wrong?" He licked his lips with half lidded eyes.

"I don't know, I haven't known you long enough to be able to tell." He gave out one laugh before stopping himself and standing up. He held out his right arm and winked at you.

"May I show you around?" You grinned and hooked your arm around his.

"Yes you may my lord." You giggled as his eyes widened.

"I want to hear that more." He mumbled as you both walked through the doors.


	6. West Wing

Ghirahim talked nonstop as you walked throughout the castle, smiling at how he beamed as he spoke. He led you up a large staircase that split into to two: one on you left and another leading to your right. Ghirahim started to lead you upstairs to the right, still babbling about how the castle came to be. You stopped and looked over at the opposite staircase, your eyes wandering up the stairs. Ghirahim stopped as well and gave you a puzzled look.  
   
"Oh no darling, you can't go in there, no no. That's against my masters orders." Ghirahim said, staring up the staircase. You scrunched up your nose. You knew that you shouldn't and deep down your brain told you know but you just had to go. You looked at Ghirahim.  
  
"Please, can I just have a peek?" You questioned, leaning into him. "Pleaaase?" Ghirahim leaned backwards, putting his hands on your shoulders. He swallowed. You pouted and folded your hands together. Ghirahim sighed and looked around before snapping his fingers.  
  
"VOLGA!" You jumped at his loud voice and stepped back. From the shadows of a the room a bouncing candle holder trotted towards you both, flames spitting about on its hands. Volga struggled to hop up the stairs, loosing his balance multiple times. Before he fell you ran down and grasped his spine, holding him up. The dragon mask on the holder glowed red as Volga huffed small 'thank you'.  
  
Ghirahim scoffed and flew over to you two.   
  
"Volga, I want you to show (Y/N) around the west wing." Volga's flames exploded into large white flames, making you yelp as you dropped him.  
  
"You want me to what?!! That wing is strictly forbidden! And you of all people should know that Ghirahim!" Volgas flames died down until they were small again. Ghirahim placed his hands on his hips as he bent down to Volga.  
  
"I am not like you 'people', and besides, I am  _the_ Lord Ghirahim to you sir. I just want you to show her around, and if our master shows any signs of coming this way I'll get you two, got it?" Ghirahim blew through his nostrils and stood up straight. You looked over to Ghirahim and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What will you do if I refuse?" Volga challenged. Ghirahim grinned.  
  
"I don't think anyone will notice if another candlestick holder disappears, will they?" Your eyes widened and Volga jumped back.  
  
"F-fine! But if we get caught-"  
  
"If we get caught I'll take all the blame." Ghirahim smiled and picked up Volga and handed him towards you. You grabbed him and turned around.   
  
Every part of you was saying not to go and just go to bed. Your stomach twisted and churned and your legs became numb. Even Volga was scared of going. But you remembered the small lonely and equally scared boy in your dream. If that west wing has anything to do with lifting the curse off of these people than so be it.   
  
You took one step onto the staircase and smiled. You breathed slowly and nervously ran up the stairs, almost tripping onto your dress. Once at the top you put a hand to your chest and looked behind you at Ghirahim. He rose a brow and looked at you weirdly. You grinned and ran into the hallway.    
  
The hallway was pitch black, Volga's fire the only source of light. As you walked you stared at the walls and the floor, random damaged objects thrown across the room and paintings that were pale compared to the luscious bright ones in the rest of the castle.   
  
You stopped at a doorway, much to your dismay the doors were closed. You set Volga down and tried to open it but it was locked. Volga sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry madam, but you cannot enter, can we leave now?" You looked down at Volga and  shook you head.  
  
"Well why the hell not?!" He whispered, shaking his flaming hands at you. You bent down and grinned at him. Playing with you hair you grabbed out two hairpins and began picking at the lock.  
  
"What are you doing!" Volga gasped and looked around frantically. "We're gonna be caught!"   
  
"No we are not!" You clapped your hands and grabbed Volga as the door opened. You hopped inside and closed the door behind you. The room was lighted with a dull blue light and had a cold breeze. Turning around you realized that the small room had two opened window and the drapes fluttered towards you as the wind gently blew in.   
  
The moonlight shined in the room. You set Volga on a small table beside you and looked around in awe. A family portrait was torn in half and was hung to rot on the wall as the furniture was ripped apart. On the table underneath the painting was a small music box.   
  
You walked over to it and picked it up. Volga gasped and held his breath. You opened it and smiled gently. In it was a tall woman playing a harp. A key stuck out on the side. You started to turn it and waited for it to play. The woman's hands started to hit the string but no music came out. You looked around and noticed an actual gold harp laying under some papers. You picked it up and looked at the woman. Sitting down a chair you stared at her hands trying to memorize each stroke.   
  
Once you thought you had it done you began to stroke the strings in the same pattern. At first you played it slowly, making sure it went smoothly. As it progressed you got braver and played the strings more nicely.   
  
You closed your eyes and hummed as you played on the harp, feeling the wind flow around you. Volga let go of his breath and relaxed. The music flowed into the castle, making all objects stop. Everyone listened intently and closed their eyes.   
  
Ganon stopped pacing in the yard and sat up. The music played over and over in his head.  
 _A young boy ran up stairs crying until he stopped to two big doors. He yelled and pushed them open, and ran inside. The young boys mother sat on her lush red chair and looked over. The boy wiped his eyes and sat on his mothers lap. She shushed him and pet his hair. The boy closed his eyes as his mother took out her harp and played._  
Ganon huffed and looked around, until he saw you. Emotions flooded his mind.  
  
You sat by the edge of the small balcony as you played your harp. You stopped as you saw a large figure jump in front of you. You screamed and tried to run towards the room, but the person was to fast. You gasped as Ganon stared at you.    
  
"Why are you in here." He growled, his yellow eyes staring at the harp. You swallowed.  
  
"I-I-I just...I  was curious-"  
  
"I said  **not**  to come in here!" You shrunk back as his voice rose. Ganon stopped and his ears went back. It wasn't your fault, Ghirahim was supposed to lead you away from this room. Besides, you played the harp so well.  
  
"Never mind." You gave a breath of relief and clung onto the harp. Ganon stared at it still. You bit the inside of your cheek and sat down. Looking at Ganon who had laid down next to you, you smiled softly. Gently you began to stoke the harp, once more allowing the music to play.  
  
Ganon huffed and closed his eyes as he listened. You silently began to sing as you played.  
  
Ghirahim smiled as he watched from another window.   
  
"I think she's the one, don't you?" Ghirahim smiled and looked over at his companion.   
  
"I think that she's a bimbo who's no fun." Ghirahim growled and smacked the boy on the head.   
  
"Get out of here skull head!" Ghirahim spat and flew out of the room as the young boy hopped on the window sill.  
  
"It's Skull KID!!!" The boy leaped out of the window.  
  
All that was heard was your singing and harp playing throughout the sleeping castle, slowly bringing life into it.


	7. Magic Mirror

It has been a week since that  _intimate_ moment. By then snow was covering every inch of the ground outside, making the outside world look a lot less, sinister. The only downfall to winter was that in this castle everything was extremely cold. Ghirahim would catch you sitting very close to the fire place or huddled up in blankets inside the library. You never saw the beast outside of his room unless you were eating or when he was in the library. He never yelled at you anymore, Ghirahim told you that he has taken a liking to you. You smiled to yourself.  
  
        Putting on a huge winter coat that Zant gave you after you tried to go outside, you ran inside not that long after with your face deeply red and shivering, you finally were able to stay in the yard a bit longer.  
  
        The snow crunched under your boots as you walked outside. The cold air nipped at your nose, making you wrap your scarf around your face. The trees leaves were covered in the snow, which made the forest less menacing as you stared at it. If it wasn't for your low chance of survival you could go home. You sighed and stared at your breath.  
  
"It's that cold huh?"  
  
        You turned around and saw a young child-thing. You didn't know what it was but it looked small enough to be a kid. He wore a orange colored like tunic and a large yarn hat. His tan gloves seemed to big for him and his shoes looked worn out. Tilting your head you leaned down.  
  
"What's your name?" The small boy dug his feet in the snow and looked away, hiding his face some more.  
  
"People call me skull kid." He murmured quietly. He still wouldn't look at you. You huffed and took off your scarf and handed it to him. Skull kid jumped back and stared at your hand. Finally he looked at you. Your eyes widened. His skin was black, pitch black which made his yellow eyes pop out. But the strange thing was, was his beak. A bright orange beak.   
  
"I can have it?!" He seemed to smile as you nodded. Gleefully taking the warm red scarf, he wrapped it around himself. You didn't have the heart to tell him that he was wearing it wrong.  
  
"What are you doing out here, skull kid?" You asked, your neck becoming red. The boy walked slowly around you.  
  
"I was told to find a girl."  
  
You sat on a bench, wiping snow off for him to sit next to you. The boy leaned into your coat.  
  
"Oh really? Do you know the girls name?" You wrapped your arm around his shoulder, gently rubbing it to keep him warm.  
  
"Yeah, her name was (Y/N). She has been missing from her town for longer than a week."  
  
You swallowed hard and scratched the back of your neck.  
  
"Why did they send you? No offense but you're just a kid and the forest is very dangerous for someone like you."  
  
Skull kid laughed and jumped off the bench. He looked above you and jumped up above you until he grabbed a tree branch. Skull kid crawled around in the tree, shaking the snow off of it making it fall slowly around you. He jumped back down and walked over to you. In his hands was a small baby bird.  
  
"I live in those woods. I am like this small bird. Abandoned and left to live in a place it doesn't belong. Eventually it will grow and learn to live in this strange place. I know these woods like the back of my hand." The baby bird chirped and flapped its wings. You took the bird and held it close, watching as it huddled into your coat.  
  
"You were abandoned?" You asked in horror, gazing at the small child. He nodded as he swung back and forth on his heels.  
  
"Yeah, but it doesn't matter, I can do what I want!" He grinned before shivering. He grabbed your hand.  
  
"Come on! We have to go, the town wants you!" You let go of his hand. He looked at you weirdly.  
  
"You go tell them that I will come home, but when I want to. I can't leave yet, these people need me, specifically one person needs me."  
  
Skull kid huffed and folded his arms. "You _need_  to go with me! They  _want you!_ "  
  
"Who wants me?" You asked, your brow twitching in a growing anger. Only one person could want you so desperately that they would send a random forest boy.  
  


* * *

  
  
"GROOSE!"  
  
        All the men cheered and slammed their mugs together, froth spilling from their drinks. Everyone laughed drank in the warm pub. Groose grinned and stood up on the table.  
  
"Who is the best?" He asked, holding a hand behind his ear. All the men guffawed.  
  
"GROOSE!"  
  
        Groose grinned and looked at the women. They all swooned and leaned against each other. Groose laughed and fell backwards into his chair, folding his hands behind his head. All his friends sat around him talking loudly about how great he was while all the woman stared at him from afar.  
  
        The only thing missing on this wonderful winter evening, was his girl (Y/N). He sighed and looked at the ceiling. Why won't you see how much he loves you? He only wants you to be his wife, a wife who will clean the house and take care of him. Is that so much to ask for?  
  
        One of the woman sitting around him noticed his depressed mood. She stood up.  
  
"Everyone quiet! Groosey, what is wrong?" She leaned into his chair, pushing her bust out. Everyone leaned in his direction, wondering what could possibly be wrong with their perfect man?  
  
Groose slouched into his chair.  "I'm not perfect." The whole pub gasped in disbelief.  
  
"Of course you are!" The woman pouted her lips as she tried to brush his hair. He slapped her hand away. "Don't! Touch the hair!"  
  
"I'm not perfect! If I was (Y/N) would be right next me looking at me lovingly like you women do." Everyone nodded and drank their beer slowly. "Why does she not love me?"  
  
People sprung up answering immediately.  
  
"She's weird!"  
  
"She's crazy!"  
  
"She's super jealous!"  
  
"Maybe she thinks your boring." Groose frowned as Link shrugged and looked away. Groose stood up and walked slowly towards Link. He pushed his finger into Links chest.  
  
  
  
"You." Groose looked downwards at Link.  
  
"Me?" Link looked at him in fake disbelief. Everyone in the pub leaned together and stared at those two.  
  
"Yes you, you pointy eared doofus." Link held his hands up in mock surrender.  
  
"Oh, me. Alright I couldn't tell. Sorry I'm a doofus. What is it you oh perfect one." Link looked at him with a bored expression.  
  
"What did you say about me? Why (Y/N) doesn't like me?" Link huffed and looked Groose in the eyes.  
  
"I said maybe it's because you are boring. And also because you make her uncomfortable." Groose's eyes widened.  
  
"I make her uncomfortable?" Link nodded and folded his arms and leaned against the wall.  
  
"Yep, all the time. She tells me every day." Link smiled. Groose rubbed his hands together before grabbing Link by the shoulders.  
  
"Hyah! What are you doing?!" Groose held him above him and shook. Everyone gasped.  
  
"Link! You need to teach me how to make her like me!" Groose whined, shaking harder.  
  
"Agh! F-fine! Put me down!" Groose let go of Link, making him fall on the floor. Link held his head in his hand and tried to make the world stop spinning. "Even if I did teach you- woah!" Link held the wall as he stood up, people laughing in the back. His ears turned a bright pink as he looked Groose.  
  
"Even if I did, it wouldn't matter. (Y/N)'s missing and we have no lead on where she is." Groose grinned.  
  
"I already sent someone yesterday to try and find her." Everyone cheered again and yelled his name. Link rolled his eyes.  
  
"Who did you send?" Link asked.  
  
Suddenly one of the windows crashed opened above Links head, snow falling inside and on Link. Skull kid landed in Grooses arms. Link grunted as he wiped snow off of his head. Cold air blew in and snow went down Links shirt. He huffed and glared at skull kid, his ears pointing downwards.  
  
"I sent skull kid!" Groose smiled proudly to himself as he cradled the shivering boy. Link huffed and looked at the scarf.  
  
"Hey, that's (Y/N) scarf! You found her?!" Both of the men stared at skull kid. He squeaked and hid himself in your scarf.  
  
"I did! I did!" Groose sighed in relief. "Well? Where is she?" Groose questioned, flicking the hat away from his face.  
  
"S-she is in the big castle in the woods." He whispered, jumping from Grooses arms. Dramatically lighting struck and thunder shook the pub as he said those words, everyone gasping in horror. Link jumped, yelling and turning red remembering to control his random noises. Groose put his hands on his hips.  
  
"Do not fret my dear (Y/N)! I will get you out of there! I will kill every beast if I have to!" Everyone cheered and took a swig from their frothy drinks. Link rolled his eyes and sat down on a bench. He looked at Skull kid.  
  
"What was (Y/N)'s condition when you saw her?" Even though Link seemed calm and collected on the outside, he cared deeply for his friend and was scared for her.  
  
"She was fine. She told me to tell you guys this exactly. ' I will come home, but when I want to. I can't leave yet, these people need me, specifically one person needs me.' Oh, and she wants Groose to stop worrying about her."  
  
Groose sighed and looked above. "She thinks about me!" Link grunted and looked back to skull kid.  
  
"Who is she helping?" Link asked. A woman wearing a cloak walked towards the three boys.  
  
"Don't you know the story of the castle?" She asked, her voice deep. Link nodded.  
  
"Well, yeah. Everyone know it."  
  
"Then you know how the curse goes. If the beast finds his true love his curse is lifted." The woman sat down. Groose grew red in anger.  
  
"True love! I am her true love!" Link shot up (though his height was dreadfully smaller than Groose). "No you are not!"  
  
Groose glared at him. "What, do you love her?" Link's face grew red as he looked away.  
  
"Of course I do! She's my best friend. How can you be her true love when she hates you!"  
  
Groose shifted uncomfortably before sitting down. Link grunted and clenched his fists before sitting down. The woman took off her hood before flicking her wrist. A mirror appeared and she handed it to Link, winking at him. Before he could grab it, Groose took the mirror.  
  
"Why did you give me a mirror?" Groose squinted his eyes as he held the mirror close to his face.  
  
"It's a magic mirror, allowing you to see what is truly going on in that castle."  
  
Link and Groose leaned in to look at the mirror. It glowed a bright green before images started to appear on the glass. You were huddling in a corner of what looked like a dungeon. You held yourself as you cried, shivering. Suddenly a beast jumped in and roared at you, making you scream. Both Link and Groose yelled your name before looking at Cia.  
  
"Do you want to help me now?" She asked, pushing her white hair from her face. Both Link and Groose agreed in unison. Cia grinned, her eyes flashing a bright green before she stood up.  
  
"My name is Cia, I am a sorceress. I can get your friend to leave." She winked at Link and looked at them both.  
  
"Meet me at my house tomorrow, you can't miss it. There, we will create our plans to get your friend back." She put her hood back on and turned to leave.  
  
"Keep the mirror." She left the pub, the winter air howling as she left.  
  
        Cia grinned to herself as she walked away from the town. She headed towards a hill that overlooked the village. She stopped and positioned her hands upwards, colorful magic spilling from her hands, illuminating the white snow.  It glowed in the darkness of the night and spun around the hill, getting brighter and bigger before a building was able to be seen. Cia smiled approvingly at herself as tall house erected itself on the hill.  
Cia opened the door and closed it behind her before taking off her coat.  
  
"LANA!"  
  
        A young woman came running downstairs while holding multiple spell books. She tripped and dropped them all. Cia scoffed and dropped her coat on Lana. Lana blushed in embarrassment and got up. She grabbed the cloak and the books before setting them on a nearby table. The stained glass windows made the room seem colorful, brightening the mood.  
  
        Cia sat down on a couch and looked ahead of her before snapping her fingers. The fireplace ignited into flames, making the room warm. Lana walked over to Cia and gave her her daily herbal tea. Cia sipped at her tea and flicked her hand again, a white mirror appearing in her hand.  
  
"Lana we are going to make one last trip to Dragmire manor." She chuckled to herself as the mirror glowed a bright blue before showing what was really happening in the castle.  
  
        You sat next Ganon by the fireplace, Ghirahim sitting opposite of you two. You had a book opened and was reading it out loud, lulling the beast to sleep. Cia frowned and gave the mirror to Lana. Lana left the room and stared at the mirror.  
  
"Oh dear girl, help that poor man before they get their. I believe in you." Lana, sighed as put the mirror away in a random drawer.  
  
Hopefully you do help him.  
  
  



	8. Ready for action

Link had taken the mirror home with him, finally persuaded Groose to give it to him. Link walked into his small home and walked into the kitchen. The image of you screaming in a dungeon replayed in his mind. What was happening to you in there? He grabbed a glass and put warm milk in it to help relax him. He sat down on a stool and held the mirror close. It was silver and cold, with intricate details on the back. He saw the triforce symbol on it, which seemed the biggest detail. He downed the last bit of milk and looked at his reflection.

"Show me (Y/N)." His voice echoed in the empty room. Nothing happened. Link turned red in embarrassment. He dragged his hand on the mirror as he requested again. It glowed blue instead of green, confusing Link.

You appeared in a bedroom, humming to yourself as you made your bed. You weren't scared at all. What is going on? You laid on the bed and stared upward. His heart stopped. It almost seemed like you were staring at him. You smiled, a real genuine smile. His eyes grew wide.

You were just terrified the last time he saw you. Was this a lie? A trick made by the beast who trapped her? Link sat in silence as he continued to watch his friend hum in delight. A sudden knock at the door interrupted him.

He jumped and put the mirror on the counter and walked silently to the front door. It knocked again.

"Link!" Groose yelled, slamming his fists on the door. Link rolled his eyes. Why can't he just leave me alone, Link thought.

He opened the door and immediately regretted his decision. Groose walked in without saying anything and headed for the mirror.

"Yeah um no! Groose, we agreed I get that for tonight!" Link yelled, jumping in front of him. Groose glared at Link and sighed. He sat down on the stool Link was sitting on and laid his head on the counter. Link was holding the mirror in his hands and looked around awkwardly. What was he supposed to do? He never liked Groose and Groose never liked him. He always bullied him with every chance he got. He only stopped when he found out you were his best friend, his only friend. He was still annoyed by Groose but he didn't hate him as much anymore. 

Groose groaned. Link blinked and looked at him.

"Groose?"

Groose shot up and looked at Link. His golden eyes bore into his face, looking past him. Link swallowed hard.

"Why doesn't she like me? Truly, why?" Groose whispered. His eyes were tired and he seemed totally different than the social persona outside that he usually wears. Link tried to smile but he couldn't. He could only tell him why he didn't like Groose. He doesn't truly understand why you don't like him. Groose always tries to impress you and get your attention. 

Groose sighed and looked at the floor. 

"Everyone else likes me. With her she turns me down every chance she gets. If she can't love me, why can't she at least accept me?" Groose got up and stretched. He looked at Link again. Links ears lowered. 

"Make sure she isn't hurt anymore. It's killing me inside." With that Groose left the house. Link stared at the doorway.

"Wow."

 

 

 

 

You laid on your bed and smiled to yourself. Your heart was racing as you stared at the ceiling. Ghirahim led Ganon to his chambers as you went into your room. Ghirahim later showed up to check on you. He said that Ganon has been the most happiest he has ever been in a long time.

You were actually helping someone, causing something good to happened. It made you feel amazing. Is this what Link felt like whenever he helped the townsfolk? Something in your heart told you it was more. Something else was making you feel this way. You sighed and sat up. Brushing some hair behind your ear you looked at the window. You got up and walked over to the balcony, staring at the overgrown garden. You looked at your hand, the ring your father gave you shining on your finger. You sighed. 

"Soon I will be home papa, do not worry." You smiled and walked over to the dresser to change into your normal clothes. Before you could get to the door you heard a thump behind you. Turning around you saw the same hat wearing boy.

"Skull kid! What brings you back?" You walked over to him, helping him up. Skull kid looked at you, an object in his hand.

"This is for you. It is from a worried lady from the town. It isn't just any mirror, it is a magic mirror." He grinned before hoping backwards and jumping from the balcony. You rolled your eyes and looked at the hand held silver mirror. Looking into the glass you saw yourself. You hair was messy and you had bags under your eyes. You blushed and rubbed your face. Suddenly the mirror began to glow a bright blue color.

Link appeared in the mirror, shocking you. He was sitting in his kitchen and was staring at the window. It was angled awkwardly, like as if you were laying down and looking up. You heard a muffled call and Link turned to that direction. He nodded and grabbed the mirror. Everything went dark. You blinked and caught your breathe in your throat. What the hell was this? Who gave you this? You shook your head and put the mirror on your bed. You looked at it again before leaving the room.

 

* * *

 

Link walked outside and met Groose in front of his house. They both nodded in silence as they mounted their horses. They both rode into town. Link kept on thinking of how Groose acted last night. He never acted that way about anyone or to anyone. Was his feelings for you real? They passed the Lon Lon Ranch, a surge of pain hit his chest as he remembered how you two would meet here. A young girl came running towards them, trying to get their attention. Groose and Link halted their horses, letting the girl catch up to them. It was Malon and she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

"Link! Thank goddess I stopped you." She tried to catch her breath, a small blush rising in her face. Groose huffed and crossed his arms.

"What do you want farm girl? We have some very important business." Link glared at him and mounted off his horse. He knew of her crush on him, you told him awhile ago but it didn't bug him. It seemed like a lot of the girls in his village had a thing for Link so he had gotten used to the attention. Malon stared at Link before she busted into tears. Link and Groose jumped back in shock.

"It's all my fault!" She cried, wiping her eyes. "I made her do all my chores and made her so tired and mad that she went off! Now she won't come back! (Y/N) is gone!" She continued to cry as she began to hiccup. Link grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her into a soft hug. She relaxed into his arms and continued to cry.

"It's not your fault, Malon. Don't tell (Y/N) this but she is a drama queen and I have warned her about those woods." He grinned at her, his soft blue eyes sparkling. Malon grew red as she smiled. Groose rolled his eyes as he mounted his horse. 

"Come on Link, we have to go back to town." Link nodded and mounted his horse, ready to leave. Malon looked at them.

"What are you two doing?" She asked, wiping the last tear away. Groose leaned downwards and pursed his lips.

"Thanks to you, Link and I are going to get (Y/N) back to the village before a beast kills her." He grinned at her shocked face. Link walked his horse over to him and smacked the back of his head. "It isn't her fault Groose." They both glared at each other.

"W-wait! I want to come help as well! Wait here!" Before they could say anything Malon yelled.

"ISAMU!!!!" A large horse galloped over, stopping right by Malon. Both Link and Groose stared at the animal.

"That's (Y/N)s horse! That means she has no way of escaping!" Groose exclaiming, blood running from his face. Link huffed and looked at the direction of the lost woods. Malon mounted your horse and looked at the two men.

"Let's go! Hyah!" She yelled, bolting toward the village. Link and Groose both struggled to take the lead, hitting each other as they lagged behind Malon.

 

Link arrived at the hill first, Groose and Malon stopping behind him. Something felt wrong about the house on the hill. He didn't know what it was but he could feel a strange aura. Malon and Groose dismounted their horses and walked over to Link. The house was large and was made from what looked like black oak. Colored windows were only on the first story, the second half was just wood. A large copper-colored door stayed closed as Link and the other walked up to it. 

Link couldn't bring his hand to knock, something in the back of his mind restricted him from doing so. Malon stood next to Link, holding his arm. Groose didn't like waiting and walked past Link, shoving him away. He smirked at him and looked at the door. Raising his arm, prepared to knock.

"Hey! What do you think you think you are doing?" A sudden voice cause Groose to yell and jump back. The door began to twist and a large face appeared on it. Large eyebrows covered its blank eyes and its mouth hung all the way to the bottom of the door. It raised an eyebrow.

"You don't go smacking peoples faces, that's mighty rude. How would you like it if I bopped your face in?" The door glared at him before coughing, causing the house to shake. He looked smiled and looked at Link and Malon.

"Oh! A happy couple! How nice, what brings you here?" Link and Malon grew red and let go of each other. Groose rolled his eyes and walked to the door again. They both glared at each other.

"Is this where that sorceress lives?" Groose asked, squinting his eyes at the door. The door huffed. 

"Yes it is. Are you the young folk who was requested to join her for this evening?" 

Groose grinned and grabbed out the mirror from Links sack. 

"Does this answer your question?" Groose grinned smugly. The door rolled his eyes. Slowly the door creaked open, showing them a much larger room than what was assumed outside. Candles lit up as they walked inside. A large living room was filled with furniture and paintings. The colored windows made the light dance on the floor. 

The end of this room was cut off by two counters which acted as a gateway to the kitchen. Suddenly they heard voices upstairs and the thuds of feet going down the stairway.

Cia entered from the kitchen, smiling as she smoothed her white hair. Malon could feel jealousy boiling in her stomach as Cia eyed Link. Cia quickly looked at Malon before clasping her hands together.

"Well, sit!" Cia grinned as she sat down on one large cushioned chair as the other three sat on a couch on the opposite side. Cia flicked her hand and a table began to grow from the floor between the people. Cia loved the awed looks on their faces, especially Links. 

"Are any of you thirsty?"

Link and Malon nodded quietly. Groose clutched the mirror in his hands. The only person who knew of his true feelings were Link, only because he drank to much that night. Holding this mirror, the last thing of you that he had was the only thing keeping him together.

"LANA! Come get our guests some drinks!" Cia yelled, causing them to jump. A woman with blue hair came running from downstairs and entered the kitchen. She looked at the guests, her eyes lingered on Link for a split second before turning around. Cia sat upright, her legs crossed. She had an aura of dominance around her. She looked at Link with a smirk on her face. Slowly she took off her cloak revealing her navy blue outfit. Link and Groose's eyes widened as Cia leaned forward, putting her cloak on the floor. Malon huffed and looked away. Lana walked in holding a tray. She set it down on the table, the cups clattering against each other. Cia looked at Lana.

"Well, if you are done, be gone! We have much to discuss." Lana gave a wavering smile before nodding and leaving. Groose grinned and grabbed a cup. As they drank, Cia grabbed her mirror and stared at the two men in front of her. 

"Have you been checking on your precious (Y/N) lately?"

Groose clutched tighter as he nodded. Link stared at the mirror. What he saw was exactly the opposite of what this woman showed them before. Link and Groose nodded.

"Good, then you know how serious this is. If she is there any longer she will die. This beast is cruel and evil. Rumors have it that this beast came from the very darkness that destroyed Skyloft." Link and Groose sat upright, a shiver going down their spine. Malons eyes grew watery at the thought of you being killed because of her. Cia took a sip from her drink, her eyes closed.

"I have a way of killing the beast, but getting to his domain is the challenge. Your precious (Y/N) only got there by chance. That skull child you sent is what we need. Do you know how we can get him again?" Cia asked, looking at Groose. Groose nodded as he leaned forward. Link had his hands clutched on his knees as Malon stared at Cia.

"Good, we have that covered. Once we map out the direction to that castle we will need as many willing people as we can get. Who knows how many creatures and followers he has working for him there. Groose will be the one to rescue the girl-" "Wait!" Groose shouted. Cia stared at him wide-eyed. Link stared at him.

"I need to kill the beast, for (Y/N). This will show her how I truly feel!" Groose said desperately. Cia flared at him.

"Link is the one to kill the beast, that is final." Cia's voice was firm as she spoke. Groose glared at her as his grip tightened. Links eyes flickered between them, a knot forming into his stomach. He didn't want to kill anything, just save you and be done with it. Besides, what if what he had seen before was true, that you were okay. Thoughts swarmed in his head as he tried to focus. What was the right thing to do?

Cia sat up as she tried to remain her calm exterior. "As I was saying, once we map out the area, we get as many people as we can and charge right into the castle. Link, Groose and I will enter the manor from behind. The sudden attack from the villagers will be enough distraction to succeed in our rescue mission. I will join with the villagers so that no harm happens to them. You," she pointed to Malon, who jolted up and grew red from the sudden attention," will go upstairs into the west wing. There is a hidden cabinet that has the only thing keeping the beast at bay. Even the beast can't get to it, but he cannot leave the castle without it. You will have to take my assistant Lana with you. She will help find it." Everyone nodded in unison as Cia explained the plan. But one nagging thought kept pestering in the back of Links head. How does she know so much about this castle and why does she know things that even the beast doesn't? Link silently began to form his own plan in his head, ready to tell it to the others once they left this strange home.

Cia could see the distrust in those blue eyes. She learned how to read others in her lifetime, and she could read Link like an open book. Her mouth twitched with annoyance.

"Is something wrong Link?" Link blinked and looked at her. All emotion left is face, suddenly she could not read him anymore. He shook his head silently.

"When will we put this plan into action?" He asked, staring into her eyes. Cia squirmed in her seat. Her face had a faint glow of red.

"Tonight, when they least expect it."


	9. Chapter 9

After Skull kid had left into the dead, snow covered forest, you went back to the front doors. Before your hand reached the handle, Ghirahim phased through the door. Yelping, you jumped back as Ghirahim floated towards you. He was grinning as he grabbed your gloved hand. 

"Follow me!" He whispered, nodding is head to the side.You quirked a brow but decided to follow him anyways. Ghirahim and you went over to the backyard behind the castle. Snow covered all the dead plants and the trees were stripped of their black leaves, allowing the cold white powder to sit on the vacant branches. It looked like a winter wonder land. The yard was much bigger than it looked from your bedroom as you walked into it. The walls surrounding the yard had frost glistening on the sides as small birds flew in and began to search for food. A large bench sat alone in front of a bird bath. No snow touched it, but you already knew who had sat there before. You walked over to the bench and sat down, rubbing your cold neck. 

Ghirahim floated over and beckoned the birds over. He winked at you as they flew over to the birdbath. Ghirahim finally sat by you as the birds sat in the snowed in birdbath.

"My master hates birds. They always wake him up early in the morning. But he keeped this birdbath out because they are the only things from the outside world that willingly go in here." He paused and looked at you. "Besides you of course." He smiled but then sighed. You rubbed your hands together. Suddenly, Ghirahim's hand intertwined with yours. You froze.

"I never said this before, but thank you. For staying and trying to help." You looked at him and smiled. Ghirahim shot up and looked at the castle. 

"What is it?" You asked, looking at the castle as well. In one of the windows, two large yellow eyes stared at you before you looked away.

"You stay here, I will be right back!" Ghirahim then vanished as you sat alone in the cold yard. You shoved your gloved hands in your pockets. Pulling your hands out in sudden curiosity, you found old seeds in your pockets. You looked at the birds who chirped greedily as their heads inclined towards you. 

The snow crunched underneath each step Ganon took, his large paws tearing the snow off the ground. Ghirahim had told him you were out here waiting for him. His fur ruffled as he got closer to her, a sign of nervousness. Before he got to you he stood up on his legs, trying to imitate how you walk. Slowly he walked over to the bench and nervously sat beside you. His large body overtook the bench, making you scoot to the end. His large orange tail slowly swayed on the snow covered ground, the snow clinging on it. You shyly smiled and held out your hand, seeds littering your palm. Ganon quirked a large bushy eyebrow as he stared at you. A few of the birds fluttered over to you.Because Ganon was so close, they perched on his tusks and leaned down. You giggled and raised your hand to them, allowing them to eat the seeds.

Ganon stared in wonder, his bright yellow eyes twinkling with small joy. The birds chirred and some if them continued to climb onto his head. You laughed and stood up, standing in front of Ganon.

"Give me your hands." Ganon straightened up a little as he cupped his large hands together. You dug in your pockets and put all the seeds that were in it inside his hands. Your fingers brushed his for moment, a warm feeling running through you. Ganon huffed as your hands touched his, quickly looking at your face. A small smile appeared on your face, making him feel warm.

The birds chirped and swarmed to sit around his hands, eating the seeds. You looked behind Ganon and saw that his tail began to sway faster in joy. You skipped over behind him and tried to grab his tail. Ganon turned his head to see what you were attempting. A deep laugh made his figure shake as he began to move his tail put of the way, making you fall on your knees. You looked at him and laughed. Suddenly his tail whapped you in the face, sending you back into a pile of snow. Ganon laughed out loud as you whipped the snow off of your face. He got up and stretched, ready to help you up. 

You had a ball of snow in your hands, patting the edges. Right as Ganon turned to you, you threw a large ball of snow into his face. You laughed as he fell on his ass. Ganon growled and shot up, making you yelp and get up to run. Snow spread everywhere as he jumped over you, landing in front of you. You held your breath as the snow fell back down around you two. He huffed as he stared at you, a smile beginning to grow on his face. You gave a laugh of relief and without thinking, resting your head on his chest. His warm fur was so relaxing that instinctively you leaned into his chest, all the cold leaving your body. Ganon stiffened and his fur frazzled in embarrassment.

"You're so warm, I apologize but I am so cold." you explained shyly, rubbing you hands together. Ganon smirked and nodded in understanding. 

"Then I guess we should go inside." His gruff voice sent shivers down your spine, but you told yourself that it was cause you were cold. Standing up, he bent his arm for you to slither yours into the crook of his arm. Both smiling, you walked inside the warm castle.

Ghirahim was grinning like a mad man and closed the window. He looked down at Zant and Volga who were were looking back in shock.

"Could it be?" Volga whispered, his candle like arms crossed in thought. Zant said nothing and began to hop away.

"Admit it Zant, I was right! She is the one!" Ghirahim called after him as Zant left the room. Volga began to grin before he gave out a laugh of relief.

"The curse is gonna break!" Volga cheered. Ghirahim grabbed him and began to spin around.

"The curse is gonna break! The curse is gonna break!" They cheered as they spun around. For the first time in decades, they were truly happy.

* * *

Ganon walked you into the castle and closed the doors behind him. He felt light and warm, and just like Ghirahim and Volga, happy. Your small arm in his large furry one made his heart thud in his chest. If he was nervous, you could not tell. The warm castle ensured that it would stay warm,so you let go of him and took off your coat and gloves and boots. All that was left was you in your original tunic and long stockings that rode up your thighs. You weren't particularly fond if them but that dresser nagged you to wear them. Rubbing your hands together you let out a laugh.

"What are we gonna do know?" you questioned, smiling at the beast. Ganon huffed and nodded his head to the side.

"Follow me." He began to crawl like normal, with you trailing behind him. The castle seemed more alive than before. Random objects would run around, cleaning as much as possible. The curtains were opened by moving feather dusters and the bright sun shone inside for the first time. You and Ganon ended up in a short hallway leading to two large doors. He looked back at you and grinned, his tusks showing mire white teeth. Then he open the doors with a single push and moved to let you through. You gasped.

* * *

Link was in your house, sweeping the floors. He knew how much you hated a dirty house but hated cleaning as well, so he decided to clean it for you until you returned. In truth, he needed something to keep his mind off of what he and the others were planning to do tonight. Groose and Malon were out trying to persuade the other villagers to help them save you, and it was proving to be difficult. The town may love Groose but their fear for the castle in the woods was far greater. Link was sort if happy that they did not want to join. Then no one he knew would be in danger. Yet, that image of you happily laying in a bed in that castle spurred in his mind. He went over to a counter wherw his satchel was laying and grabbed the mirror. He laid his hand on it.

"Show me (Y/N)." He whispered. The mirror glowed again, the bright light making him flinch. He looked at the glass hoping to see you in any kind of danger to justify what they were gonna do. Instead, you were in a large library filled from to the ceiling with books. Two large tables sat in the middle of the room with books laid on them. Link held his breath when he saw the beast for the first time. The long and frazzled blood orange fur rode on the back of beast perfectly, contrasting against the black fur of the body. The beast walked over one of the tables and sat by it, being to big to sit in one of the chairs. You walked over to the beast with a couple books in your arms and sat down by him. Opening one of the books you began to read.

Link stared in shock. You were in no danger whatsoever. 

_Knock_

_Knock_

_Knock_

Link jumped shoved the mirror back in the satchel and walked over to the door. Opening it, he saw the blue haired girl from before, Lana. She flushed red once Link opened the door.

"Hi! I have been asked to retrieve the mirror back, so if you would please." her voice was shy and even, scared. Link rose a brow and dug into his satchel. Acting aloof, he looked back to Lana.

" I don't have it, have you asked Groose?" Link answered, locking his satchel. Lana's eyes flickered to the satchel and then to Links face. Her eyes widened in realization. She turned over and dug in her own satchel. Grabbing out a parchment and a writing utensil, she looked at Link.

"Can I come in?" she asked. Link nodded and moved out of the way. Lana ran over to the counter and began to write frantically. She held up the paper.

_she is listening._

Link looked around. He nodded at Lana to go on.

_She is lying to you all. She is the witch, she wants the beast to die. She is going to kill him and everyone in that castle. Do not believe what she tells you. Please, tell the others, I have to leave._

She stopped writing and flicked her fingers. The parchment burned up, fire eating at it in an instant. She bowed and thanked Link and left. Link balled up his fists.

He must stop the others.

* * *

 

The fire crackled throughout the library, illuminating the dull room. You held the thick book between your hands, silently reading it to keep you busy. Ganon had fallen asleep behind you while you had read aloud awhile ago. His large body rose and fell slowly, a small rhythm you picked up and helped you relax. Another page turned, the next chapter began. You read it greedily with your eyes, absorbing every word like it was the last thing you would ever see. You felt a yawn coming on, so you stood up and stretched, cracking your stiff back. Ganon growled and turned over, his stomach exposed to you. His eyes blinked slowly and lazily opened. You smiled and sat down by the fire and stared at him.

"Did you have a good sleep?" You smiled and gave a breathless laugh. Ganon smirked and rose up and walked passed you. Unknown to you, Ganon hadn't walked on his legs before you arrived at his castle, always crawling like a beast. No one would see, so no one would care. Then you arrived and he suddenly cared about everything he did, not wanting you to leave, but at the same time was frustrated at you for making him care about things he had grown to believe were so trivial. Ghirahim told him that you were making him become who he was before, truly making him believe that you were the one. Every time he let himself believe that, a wave of self-doubt hit him and he realized that no one would ever love a beast; care for it maybe, but love? True unconditional love? Never. Yet as he walked over to the fire and he looked at you, for the first time in years he felt something. Hope.

His chest swelled and he felt warm, his fur rose as he stared at you. You had your knees pressed against your chest with your arms around your legs, staring into the flickering flames. Everything was calm and felt nice, like nothing could go wrong. Ganon was struck with an idea, something he didn't think would ever work or turn out good, but he knew that this was the only way to know how you truly felt. Ganon stood tall with his arms behind his back, his tail slowly sliding across the floor back and forth.

"(Y/N)"His voice was gruff, but you had gotten used to it. You looked over at him and smiled. The warmth in him grew.

"Yes Ganon? Anything I can do, your majesty." You joked, standing with your arms crossed. You let out a playful laugh and stared into his golden eyes. Ganon rolled his eyes and grinned back.

"I want you do join me for a dance."

* * *

Link jumped on his horse the moment he ran from your house. He had to tell the others quickly before anything happened. He knew when and how things would take place and only had a few hours before nightfall, the time of the attack. The air was cold and frigid, biting against any exposed skin. Link flicked the reigns to make Epona go faster, wanting to tell others the truth as soon as possible.

The Town came into view and he saw the pub was filled to the brim with people, voices yelling and cheering. Link slowed down and grasped his satchel, holding the only proof that he had. Malon was feeding the horses perched by the pub, keeping them company. She turned and gasped in happiness as she saw Link. Her face grew red as Link walked towards her. 

"Are you cold? Why are you out here by yourself? And where is Groose, we need to speak to him immediately." Link wrapped his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm and led her to the inside of the pub. 

"I'm fine, but what about you? You should've been here earlier to get ready for the ambush! I can't wait to save (Y/N), I can't stop worrying about her!" Malon replied as she walked by one of the windows, pushing past people. Link nodded in agreement and walked with her. "Do you think she is still alive there?"  
  
"That's what I wanted to speak with you about." Link said, trying to stick with  Malon as people fell backwards into him and shoved past. Malon and Link stopped in the middle of the pub as Groose was laughing with his minions while Cia stared at her hands as she was perched on top of a table. She looked at Link and grinned at him, sliding her hair behind her ear. Lana was beside the table, looking at Link with fearful eyes.

"Link! There you are! Finally we can start our rescue mission for (Y/N)!" Groose yelled, earning cheers from the crowd. Cia forced a smile as he looked at her. She snapped her fingers and Lana gave her Cia's Mirror. She stood on the table and raised her hand. The pub went silent. Cia looked at the mirror, the crowd waiting in anticipation. She gave a dramatic gasp of shock and looked at the crowd.

"What is it? What happened to (Y/N)?" Groose questioned, gripping one of his henchman's shoulders in fear. Malon covered her mouth in fear and leaned into Link. Link glared at Cia and balled his hands into fists. Cia gave the mirror back to Lana and clasped her hands onto her chest.

"(Y/N) is in more danger than I had previously thought." 

Everyone gasped and gritted their teeth. What could happen to her? We should leave now! What should we do? Link could feel the tension in the air grow by the second, but he wasn't believing a word she said. He knew he couldn't expect everyone to believe him, they trust the wicked sorceress more. 

"I fear we will have to attack the castle sooner then I had warned. (Y/N) has been put under a spell by the beast, being forces to act in his sickening fantasy. If we do not go now, she may be stuck that way forever!" Cia feigned fear as she spoke, the whole crowd gasping as she spoke. Groose grew red in the face. 

"We have to go now!" He yelled, thrusting his fist in the air. The pub roared with him, chanting. Link rolled his eyes. He grabbed the mirror in his satchel and strutted forward to stand between Cia and the crowd. Groose eyed Link suspiciously as Link raised his hand to silence them. Cia looked at the mirror and glared at Lana who shrunk in fear and looked away. The pub silenced to a few murmurs, allowing Link time to speak.  
  
"This witch speaks lies! She is making you believe in her fairy tale to do her corrupt deeds!" Link yelled with passion, pointing accusingly at Cia as the crowd gasped. Groose grew red in the face with anger. How could Link, (Y/N)s closest friend defend the monster holding you captive? Cia saw the hate in Groose's eyes. She smiled.  
  
"This boy obviously is under a spell from the beast in the castle! How can we trust him?" Cia stepped down from the table to stand beside Link. Malon crossed her arms and stood beside Link.  
  
"I would trust Link with my life! If he believes you are on the wrong side, than it must be true!" Malon gave Cia a dirty look. Groose pushed Malon out of the way and stared down at Link, eyes locked.   
  
"Of course you would trust him blindly, you are so love struck by this wimp you would jump off of a cliff if you told him too!" Groose sneered, making Malon look away in embarrassment. Link held the mirror to Groose's face. Link could here the people questioning how he had obtained another mirror, why they were fighting if they both wanted to save you, who should they trust? Cia could feel the tension, noticing how many people were swaying to Link's side, minute by minute. 

"Look, this is the truth. This is where (Y/N) is being held and how she is being treated! She is in no danger! From what I have been seeing, she is staying there  _willingly_! The beast is not the enemy! Cia is the sorceress who cursed the beast! She is wanting us to finish what she started so that she can claim the title of hero!" Link spoke with such precision that he had the whole pub in a trance. Groose held the mirror in his hand, staring at you. His eyes swarmed with confusion and betrayal in them. You looked so happy in that creatures castle, but couldn't stand a single minute next to him. He felt lost and abandoned.

* * *

You felt so happy as you stared at yourself in the mirror of the room you were staying in. Slowly swaying your body side to side just to watch the dress glide on the floor. The long gloves shone in a beautiful golden color as you moved your arms to stare at the fabric. The strapless dress had bright floral designs heavy on the chest and became light as it descended downwards to the hem. Picking up the thick bottom of the dress, you looked down to stare adoringly at your black heels. You felt so pretty in this outfit, you never wanted to take it off.   
  
Ghirahim appeared beside you with a fresh picked rose. You eyed it and looked at him as he put it in your hair.  
  
"From master, he said only a beautiful flower would be able to rival your beauty." Ghirahim smiled and stared at you. You blushed and rubbed your hands together. You were happy and nervous at the same time. How do you dance? With a beast? What will he do? Can he dance? Will this go all wrong like the dinner incident? So many questions filled you head that you could feel a knot forming in your stomach. Ghirahim noticed how your smile faltered and fell as you stared at the floor.  
  
"Look at me," He said, holding your chin with your hand," whatever you are thinking, stop it. Think of how my master is feeling. He hasn't seen anyone in over two decades and is sacrificing his pride and comfort for you happiness, trying his absolute best to be able to make sure you are cared for and absolutely happy. He knows if this does not go well you will leave in an instant, but he won't stop you. Nothing you do will make him love you less, even running away. So please, relax." Ghirahim spoke softly as he stared into your eyes. You took a deep breath and exhaled, relaxing your shoulders.

"You're right, I can do this and I will enjoy this, even if I end up falling on my ass." You smiled at yourself in the mirror and turned around.

 

This will be a night to remember.


End file.
